For some time now after I ate at Cafe Asia 2, which I consider one of the best if not the best…read moreAsian Restaurant in Roanoke, Virginia, and I encourage you to read my review for that restaurant, I have been wondering if there is a Cafe Asia, the original one. After being awarded the NC Triad Yelp Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And Cafe Asia, in Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. One day by searching the net I so happened to finally find it. I gave them a call right away to confirm that it was the original of Cafe Asia 2, and once confirmed, I made a commitment to go there for dinner that day. Before arriving I did my research and found out that it was founded by Feng Chen in 2008 "to offer autentic Asian cuisine for everyone to enjoy." I also found out that this first location in the Bonsack area of Roanoke County, offered a pan-Asian menu that included Chinese, Thai, Japanese, and Vietnamese dishes, alongside a sushi bar. And that due to the success of this family-owned business, the second location, Café Asia 2, opened on Electric Rd in 2013. When I arrived, I was surprised that it was located in the same strip mall as Sal's Italian Restaurant which I had reviewed some time ago. As I entered the restaurant the decor was not as modern as the second one but was still very clean and nice for its time. It had a very comfortable and friendly atmosphere. The Host gave me a very friendly and warm welcome and took me to my table. I noticed that decorating the place they had strips of picture frames with pictures of customers of the restaurant, almost like saying, we put our customers first. My server was also very friendly and helpful. He answered some questions I had about the extensive menu and I gave him my order. To start off with I had a Thai Iced Coffee. As appetizer I had a Sunflower Roll from the Sushi Bar. It had spicy lobster salad, mango, avocado, with soy paper. I walked to the Sushi Bar and watched the Sushi Chef make it for me. He was very friendly and appreciated me recording the event for my readers of this review. He came out with a Culinary Masterpiece. I really savored every bite. As my main entrée I had the Pad Thai Combination. It was so good. For dessert I had two: The Mango with Sticky Rice and the Combination Mochi Ice Cream (Mango & Strawberry). It was truly a memorable meal. In conclusion, I highly recommend this restaurant and clearly see the reason for its success. It has a beautiful decor and friendly atmosphere. A menu with a great variety of items. A wonderful Sushi Chef that can work wonders making culinary masterpieces. They use quality and fresh ingredients, and the Chef can also deliver wonderful dishes. All amounts to an extraordinary dining experience.

I ordered 4 sushi rolls: when I got home the sushi smelled bad and tasted horrible. I immediately…read moredumped it all in the trash to avoid getting sick. Cafe Asia 2 is the best. I will never go to this Cafe Asia again. A waste of money in sushi.

After nearly a month of the Grand Opening of Café Suerte and Suerte Spanish Restaurant & Wine Bar,…read moreI came to have breakfast at their Café for the very first time. Café Suerte is a bright, airy Spanish café located inside the Promissory Hotel in downtown Roanoke. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 7:00AM through 2:00PM, it features local coffee, made-to-order breakfast, bocadillos for lunch, and grab-and-go market items. The café seamlessly transitions into Suerte, a full-service regional Spanish restaurant led by Chef Josh Labreque and Chef Stacia Dougherty, which serves authentic Madrid-style tapas and paella in the evenings. Dinner hours of the restaurant being Tuesday through Thursday 5:00PM - 9:00PM, and Friday & Saturday from 5:00PM - 10:00PM. I arrived on a beautiful Saturday morning at around seven-fifteen and parked my pearl white Lexus in an on-street parking space across the street from the café's entrance through the Promissory Hotel on Campbell Ave., that was once the First National Exchange Bank. Once inside the building, I was immediately greeted by the Promissory Hotel's professional and welcoming Front Desk staff while passing through to the café's entrance on the right. There, behind the counter of the café, a distinguished young lady welcomed me, showed me a copy of the menu, and took my order right in front of the counter. I was amazed to find attached to the menu that they had chilled Gazpacho soup, for that was one of the recommendations I made in my direct thank you note and feedback I made to Stephanie Payne who was the restaurant's representative who informed me of their Opening Day after my request for this information. Alexis, the café's barista took my order and had me take a seat at the dining room, while she relayed the information to the kitchen, and proceeded to prepare my coffee. The menu was short but with some delightful and very appetizing items. I ordered the Bocadillo de Antxon, which was a fried egg, with chorizo, mojo rojo, garlic mahonesa, and potato chips on a brioche roll. Mahonesa (and its more common spelling, mayonesa) translates from Spanish to English as mayonnaise. It refers to a thick, creamy cold sauce made as an emulsion of egg yolks, oil, and vinegar or lemon juice. The term "mahonesa" specifically honors the city of Mahon on the island of Menorca, Spain, which is widely recognized as the birthplace of the beloved condiment. The Bocadillo de Antxon came with a small, refreshing salad which contained seasonal greens, cucumber, red onion, almond, aged Manchego, and piparra yogurt dressing. What a morning treat! As if this wasn't enough, I also ordered something sweet from the menu's "Dulces" area. The Churros y Chocolate. These were deep fried pastry dough covered with cinnamon sugar and served with warm ganache.panache. I particularly liked the lite gourmet twist that the chef gave the churros making them more soft and airy than the commonly known Spanish Churros but nevertheless with an amazing, interesting texture and taste, dipped in hot chocolate. To drink I ordered a Mocha Café Latte. When my server/barista brought the order to my table it was first a treat to my eyes and to my phone. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a real sense of the high-quality food and distinguish-looking yet relaxing ambiance. What an awesome breakfast and an extraordinary breakfast dining experience. I highly recommend it to all who are around the area as well as an excuse to plan a trip to the area, stay at the New Promissory Hotel, dine at Suerte, and enjoy all the many attractions that the Star City has to offer.

Sometimes in the least expected places one can find the most exquisite restaurants. Looking for a…read moreplace to eat after an upset with 419 West Restaurant for not having enough parking spaces to accommodate their booked customers, after canceling the reservation that I made through Open Table, I drove off to a tiny strip mall next door, and there I found this place called Szechuan Chinese Restaurant. After being awarded the NC Triad Yelp Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And Szechuan Restaurant in South Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. As I was walking towards the restaurant after parking my car, since I hadn't had an opportunity to research it to find out if it was good, I asked one of their customers who was also headed that way and he replied: "After more than 40 years of being their customer, I haven't found a place with better Chinese food." What an outstanding live testimony to the place, I thought to myself. Then as I got closer, Their windows were displaying framed articles about the restaurant. Inside, the owner was seated at his open office located in front of the restaurant, and the walls around him were inundated with framed awards and photos related to the restaurant. The owner, very friendly and hospitable, greeted me, and explained how since Covid they no longer had table service. But you would look at the menu, order and pay there, and then the food would be taken to your table in take out containers by a young lady server. As I went through their beautiful and extensive menu, he was able to notice that I was not too familiar with many of the items on the menu, so he helped me by asking me some questions of my likes and providing some recommendations. I ended up ordering a Coke to drink. A Vegetable Spring Roll as appetizer, as well as a Scallop Roll from the Sushi Bar. And as my main entrée I ordered the Pork Szechuan Style with their Fried Rice. And for dessert they had only three options Cheesecake, Chocolate Cheesecake, or Donuts. I went for the Chinese Donuts because I always wanted to try them. After ordering and paying with my credit card, I went to their dining room to look for a table to sit at. I picked a booth next to a window to provide enough natural light to be able to photograph the food nicely. The server brought me a plastic bottle of coke with a styrofoam cup with ice. The dining room was very nice and had the most beautiful and elegant fish tank that I've ever seen in a restaurant. It's a pity that they hadn't return back to regular table service since Covid is now under control. While waiting for my food to be prepared, I walked over to the Sushi counter to watch the Sushi Chef prepare my Scallop Roll. I invite you to view my photographs and videos accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food. Finally, the friendly young lady brought my food to my table on a tray which she placed on the table. Both her followed-up to see how I found the food and to see ifvI needed anything else. What can I say, the food was amazing! From the Sushi to the Pork in the Szechuan sauce, to the Spring Roll, and Fried Rice. By the time I ate the donuts they had cooled down and hardened and were a bit dry inside. While I was enjoying my meal, several customers stopped by to pick up their To Go orders that they had ordered by phone or through their website. Others came with the intention of eating in but when they found out the situation, they ordered for Take Out instead. And a family who came to eat in, left when they found out the dining situation. The dining experience is not the same eating out of plastic containers. It's like drinking wine out of a plastic cup is not the same as drinking it out of a Baccarat wine glass. I highly recommend that the owner return back to the normal way of operating a restaurant. The inside of the restaurant is much too beautiful and the food much too exquisite not to do so.

service. Even on Christmas Eve when half of Roanoke wants Szechuan and things get a little busy,…read morethey are uber-professional. Dumpling SAUCE is amazing. I think it's made fresh. I would LOVE the recipe.

The new ownership of the restaurant is fantastic, I really appreciate that they brought back this…read morerestaurant, but did it in a better way and more consistent. The last owner a year ago would close randomly and not make good food consistently. I highly recommend you ask the owners what they have on special! They make a lot of variety of things, but if you go with the American Asian standard food, they also make that really well

This is the WORST CHINESE RESTAURANT EVER!!!! I got food poisoning from eating this mess. The egg…read morefoo young is more like egg foo yuck. Even the sodas taste funny. Three days of vomiting and diarrhea. Don't mean to be graphic. Just wanna save a life.

The food is good lots of options to choose from, The restaurant is clean and nice, the service is…read moreamazing

so yummy!!!! 10/10 the people working were very nice and it seems like a super kind family run…read moreplace ! The pho is delicious and has a super rich broth but their items outside of the pho are really great as well I'd recommend the rice entree (idk the sauce that comes with but it makes the dish ), bun khot, and taro smoothie to drink

If you're anywhere near Cave Spring and craving sushi, Ben Gui Sushi is an absolute must…read more From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is clean, relaxed, and welcoming without trying too hard. It's the kind of place where you can actually enjoy your meal without feeling rushed or crowded. The food is where this place really stands out. Every roll we ordered came out looking incredible and tasting even better. You can tell immediately that everything is made fresh. The textures were perfect, crispy tempura paired with soft rice and high-quality fish, and the sauces were balanced instead of overpowering. The specialty rolls are clearly the highlight. The Red Dragon Roll and Lobster Shrimp Lover Roll were loaded, flavorful, and worth every dollar. The portions are generous too, you're not getting skimpy rolls here. Each plate came out beautifully presented, and the flavors hit exactly how you want sushi to hit, rich, clean, and satisfying without feeling heavy. Service was solid as well. Friendly, attentive, and efficient without hovering. Drinks stayed filled, food came out at a good pace, and everything felt smooth. For the price point, this place punches above its weight. You're getting quality sushi that rivals spots in much bigger cities, without the inflated cost or attitude. Overall, this is easily one of the best sushi spots in the Roanoke area. Whether you're going for a casual dinner or trying to impress someone, you won't be disappointed. Highly recommend.

Went for lunch on a weekday around 1200 and was the only customers there the entire time. The staff…read moreis nice and the ambiance is good. I do find it odd that they bring you water in a bottle from WalMart, but maybe they have water issues. My wife ordered the Yakisoba and it was good. I had sushi and while not the best I have ever had, it was acceptable. I do think that $50 for lunch for two people is extreme.

It's not easy to be able to find a Philipino restaurant near by, but we're very fortunate to be…read moreable to have one here in East Vinton, just next door to Roanoke, Virginia. And what an amazing cuisine it has. A woman owned small business, it reasantly opened it's doors in a location that was closed for nearly 5 years. Franchesca, the owner and chef of the restaurant and store is a proud Philipina entrepreneur living in the US with a passion for food and cooking of her native land cuisine, and a fervent desire to share it with all living in her neighborhood and communities near by. She majored in Hotel and Restaurant in College and as soon as she was presented with an opportunity to make her life dream come true she went for it. I first found out about her restaurant and store by discovering its website online, which by the way was wonderfully designed with useful information about her native cuisine, with an extraordinary menu with professionally taken color photographs of the different mejor items on the menu. Besides her great cooking and business skills, she also has wonderful technology and communication skills. When I phoned her restaurant's telephone number to double check the hours of operation of the restaurant and make sure it was already opened, a recording answered wirh a request to leave a message with any question for her about the restaurant. I decided to call again later rather than leave a message and as soon as I hanged up I received a text message explaining that she had to travel to the Philippines for a short period of time and the date when she'll be back to open the restaurant again. When I called again after she was back, a friendly voice answered the phone, so happy that I was interested in visiting her restaurant and trying out her food. She explained about the trip like if she had known me for a long time with a warm and friendly welcome and positive attitude. She confirmed that the restaurant would be open this Tuesday from 11:00am to 7:00pm, and every Tuesday through Saturday at these same hours. So I invited a friend of mine and we went on Tuesday and arrived around 4:00pm. The restaurant store was located on Stewartsville Rd in East Vinton. Housed in a humble yet very clean, relatively small building. It had a large color poster behind one of the windows with a composite of professionally taken color photographs of many food items of the menu. There were plenty of parking spots in front and around the restaurant, including Handicap parking. The small parking lot Restaurant's front sign was placed over the previous old sign. Inside, the place was clean and comfortable with the dining area on the right with burgundy color booths and the store on the left, and the kitchen in the middle. The owner greeted us behind the counter at the entrance with a warm greeting. She gave us a copy of the menu, asked us to have a seat, and took our drinking order. We both ordered Thai Tea and went to seat at a booth with our menus. In a short while she came to take our order. I ordered a Pinoy Lumpia as appetizer, a Crispy Pork Kare-Kare as my entrée, and my friend ordered a Lechon Kawali. The appetizer was amazingly delicious: crispy on the outside and with shredded pork with tasty sauce in the inside. My entrée was the Filipino famous peanut butter stew with crispy fried pork belly. It tasted just amazing. My friend's entrée was the Lechon Kawali: deep fried skin-on pork belly served with jasmine rice. It also looked wonderful and according to my friend, tasted delicious. For dessert I had their Tiramisu y my friend had the Signature Ube Mocha Cake. Everything was amazingly delicious. While we were eating several other customers came in to dine as well, and the owner of the restaurant came by at the appropriate time to talk to us and bring us water. I highly recommend this restaurant and their amazing cuisine. They have the best deep fried skin-on pork belly, and other amazing entrées, and the owner chef had such a great personality. It truly was an extraordinary dining experience.

Wonderful place to enjoy home-cooked Filipino dishes. Food…read moreand service were great. Price was reasonable. Go-to place If you are craving for something different! Ordered Lechon Kawali, Sisig, Mongo, Pancit Bihon, and Lumpia. Wife was all smiles as she delightfully ate their version of Mocha Cake with Barako coffee. They also have a small store for Pinoy products and other stuff.

I can see why the good reviews. We stopped here prior checking into the hotel and we wanted some…read moreramen on a rainy day. We ordered gyoza and tonkutso ramen with pork . Both were delicious, piping hot and my Thai tea was also good not overly sweet. I was glad she was able to adjust sweetness level. Service was friendly and even provided some recs and dining area is clean.

Located in the Cave Spring Corners Shopping Mall, a modern Strip mall in Cave Spring, Virginia,…read morethis Asian family-owned restaurant business is a Japanese quick-service eatery serving teppanyaki, Ramen, and dunburi in a casual setting. It has plenty of parking in the Mall's parking lot. Inside it has an Anime-Themed mural with contemporary furniture and extremely comfortable chairs and tables in which to eat at. They offer friendly and fast service in a cozy and charming environment. The owner is Chinese but cooks amazing Japanese cuisine and has a great personality. He often brings the food to your table and makes it a point to personally greet and welcome you and get feedback about the food as well as answer questions about any item on the menu. While I was there he even served himself a Ramen and joined his customers eating during a slow period that was unusual. Usually the place was full with at least a couple of parties at the tables and Take Out orders customers coming to pick up their phone orders. I was welcomed and greeted at the ordering counter by a friendly young lady who quickly took my order. I ordered Fried Spring Rolls as appetizer, a Beef and Shrimp Hibachi with a fountain drink as my main meal, and a Mango Mochi Ice Cream, which was unbelievably delicious. Next time I'm definitely trying out their Ramen Soup that looked amazing as all the members of the large party next to me were having. Besides the fact that the food was served in generous portions at reasonable prices, I kind of appreciated the interaction that the Asian Owner / Chef had with me and the other customers. It made for an amazing dining experience like no other before. And so not only do I highly recommend this Asian family-owned restaurant but am already looking forward to coming back.